1971 Map of Aguilar

About this map

Aguilar sits at the base of the foothills where the Apishapa River flows eastward, serving as a hub for the surrounding mining and ranching district. The industrial character of the early 1970s is evident in the dense concentration of coal workings, including the Black Hawk Mine, Rapson Mine, and the Southwestern Mine. While some locations like Rouse are marked as former settlements, others such as Brodhead and Gonzales remain part of a landscape defined by deep canyons and flat-topped mesas like Big Flat. Transport and commerce follow the corridor of the Colorado and Southern railroad and the Borrego Ditch, which parallel the mountain front. This topography, ranging from the heights of Bunker Hill down to the Salado Creek drainage, illustrates the historical reliance on both mineral extraction and water management in this part of Southern Colorado.